Assam to empower 30 lakh women with Rs 10,000 each under Lakhpati Didi scheme

Assam Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, on March 26, highlighted that the state will disburse Rs 10,000 to each woman in Self Help Groups (SHGs) from April 1 under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyan.

He informed that the Assam government is trying to make 30 lakh women of the state as Lakhpati Didi in coming days.

"PM Narendra had announced that there are four castes poor, the youth, women, and farmers. PM Modi is making all efforts to bring these four castes to the fore. Besides this, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is making all efforts to bring farmers to the fore. Efforts are also being made to push forward women. We are doing everything to make it happen," Dass said.

"There are 40 lakh women in SHGs in the state. We are trying to make at least 30 lakh women as Lakhpati Didi. On April 1, CM will initiate this. It means if they earn Rs 8,000 per month, they will earn Rs 1 Lakh per annum," he added.

"If each woman's income will be Rs 1 lakh per year, then 30 lakh women's business will be tuned up to Rs 30,000 crore. It will boost the state's GDP," Dass told ANI.

He explained further: "Those women who have applied will get Rs 10,000 in the first phase. In the second phase, they will get Rs 25,000. Under this, the state government will provide Rs 12,500, and the rest of Rs 12,500 will be obtained from the bank as a loan. In the third phase, we are trying to provide Rs 50,000 to 30 lakh women of the state."

Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA) is the largest self-employment scheme of its kind ever undertaken in Assam.

In the state Budget 2025-26, Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog had said: "We will cover around 30 lakh SHG members in rural areas and almost two lakh SHG members in urban areas, by providing Entrepreneurship Fund of Rs 10,000 as seed capital. Upon the successful utilisation of this fund, a loan of Rs 25,000 will be facilitated through bank linkage. I propose to provide a subsidy against such loan amount."

This scheme will be launched on April 1 from the Behali Assembly Constituency, and the state government will spend Rs 3038 crore for MMUA.